This recipe was given to me by a friend, and it works well if you are on a no carb/sugar diet. My family loved this so the second time I made it I increased the recipe so I had plenty of leftovers! I have changed the recipe a bit. If you want to play with the flavors and texture you can always add water chestnuts for crunch and crushed peanuts or cashews. I change a recipe most every time I make it depending on what I have in my pantry.

After a morning at Evanston’s Farmers Market, I had fresh arugula, heirloom tomatoes, and sweet onions in my bag. I had also picked up a loaf of fresh bread, prosciutto, and sliced mozzarella from my favorite small Italian grocery store, Poeta’s in Highwood. It was a gorgeous day and several people were stopping over, so I decided to make an open face sandwich with all my purchased goodies.

Heat, clean, and oil your grill. Cut your loaf of bread in half and drizzle it with olive oil. Place the bread open side down to crisp and grill, being careful not to burn. Take your bread off the grill and set aside. Finely dice several cloves of garlic and sprinkle over bread. Next I cut up all my goodies from the morning shopping trip. I sliced my tomatoes and onions, washed my arugula, and snipped and diced some fresh basil from my potted garden. I sliced a ripe avocado (drizzle lime juice over the slices to prevent browning) and sliced the prosciutto and cheese.

Now it’s time to have fun! I made one sandwich with meat and veggies and one with avocado and veggies. The important thing to remember is start with a layer of cheese and end with cheese on top. You can layer your veggies and herbs also adding a dash of kosher salt and cracked pepper. The next step is to place them back on the grill until the cheese melts being careful not to burn the bread. Slice and serve!

Summer means Saturday Farmers Market shopping, and dinner is determined by the fresh veggies I find. Today it was shiitake mushrooms, arugula, and these amazing garlic bulbs. I sautéed 2 bulbs of garlic with 2 tbsp of olive oil (note the bulbs have seeds that can be pulled off the bulb and used). I added 2 cups of cleaned and sliced shiitake mushrooms and 1/3 cup of pine nuts. Prepare your choice of pasta al dente and set aside. Save 1 cup of pasta water. Add 1/2 cup of wine and the mushrooms to a sauté pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add cooked pasta. Stir in 1/4 cup of pasta water and 1/2 cup shaved parmesan. Toss and add 1 cup of cleaned arugula. I like to add fresh lemon zest and the juice of 1 lemon. You can add any additional veggies that are fresh and tasty!

I have never used this type of garlic before but I loved the color and taste of the little pinkish buds.

Flank steak is a great summer beef entree. It’s easy and serves a crowd. I also served this recipe on the fourth. The marinade is delicious. It is based on two recipes, one from Serious Eats and one from Simply Recipes. Enjoy!

• Transfer 1/3 of marinade to a small container, add chives and shallots, stir to combine, and reserve.

• Place flank steak inside a gallon-sized zipper-lock bag with remaining marinade. Press out air, seal bag, and allow meat to marinate, turning occasionally, for at least 1 hour and up to 12.

• Take the steak out of the marinade bag and sprinkle generously on all sides with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. The salt and pepper will help form a savory crust on the steak.

• Place steak on the hot grill. If you are using a gas grill, cover the grill. Grill for 4-6 minutes on each side. Half way through grilling on each side, turn the steak 90° so that you get more grill marks.

• Flank steak is best eaten medium rare; well done will make it too tough. When the steak has cooked to your preferred level of doneness, remove from the grill and place on a cutting board. Cover with aluminum foil to hold in the heat and to keep the steak from drying out, and let rest for 10 minutes.

• Make very thin slices, against the grain, and at a slight diagonal so that the slices are wide.

I have been slightly preoccupied with planting this past month and my new recipes posts have been slim. So today I want to share my Fourth of July barbecue recipes. I’ll start with the delicious chicken recipe and sauce. It’s found in the current issue of Bon Appetit and this may be my favorite marinade of all time. You’ll probably need to shop for the ingredients but the extra time is well worth it. I love chicken thighs… they are moist, succulent, tasty, and soooo cheap. Let’s face it, when cooking for a crowd sometimes it’s nice not to spend a fortune on meat. The recipe calls for cubing the thighs and putting the meat on skewers, but I like them whole and grilled.

• Add arugula and 1/3 cup Parmesan, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Add prosciutto and toss again. Top pasta with more lemon zest and Parmesan. (Add the prosciutto at the last minute to preserve the pretty pink color.)

I’m a crepe fan… if you are from Chicago and remember the restaurant “Magic Pan”; it was one of my favorites. I used to meet my husband there once a week for a savory crepe, but really always wanting the sweet dessert crepes. I haven’t made crepes in a along time maybe because its not easy forming those perfect crepes in my own magic pan. I found this “White Toque” brand Organic Crepes already made and decided to revisit an old favorite.

They are delicious and easy, I suggest you try them and have fun making up your own filling!

This is a recipe from Smitten Kitchen’s new cookbook. I found the dough a bit thick but the flavors excellent. The next time I make this I may try using the “DuFour” puff pastry dough instead. This is a perfect winter lunch, appetizer or dinner! Enjoy!

• Make pastry: In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Place the butter in another bowl. Place both bowls in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove the bowls from the freezer and make a well in the center of the flour. Add the butter to the well and, using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Make another well in the center. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add half of this mixture to the well. With your fingertips, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Remove the large lumps and repeat with the remaining liquid and flour-butter mixture. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

• Prepare squash: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel squash, then halve and scoop out seeds. Cut into a 1/2-inch dice. Toss pieces with olive oil and a half-teaspoon of the salt and roast on foil lined (for neatness sake) sheet for 30 minutes or until pieces are tender, turning it midway if your oven bakes unevenly. Set aside to cool slightly.

• Caramelize onions: While squash is roasting, melt butter in a heavy skillet and cook onion over low heat with the remaining half-teaspoon of salt and pinch of sugar, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir in cayenne.

• Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Mix squash, caramelized onions, cheese and herbs together in a bowl.

• Assemble galette: On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Spread squash, onions, cheese and herb mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the squash, onion and cheese mixture, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open.

• Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature. Serves 6.

I love pot pies, chicken, beef, and lobster. This recipe is Ina garten’s but I use Dufour pastry dough for the topping. It’s the perfect puff pastry and a pantry (freezer) staple in my house. When it’s cold outside this is a wonderful meal to serve with a great salad and a glass of wine… maybe even in front of a warm fire. Enjoy!